Battle Soul
by Cliffy G
Summary: A lethal weapon is unleashed into the world. A young girl trains to be a SeeD. A secret organisation tries to cover up its dark secrets. When these events coincide, all hell breaks loose. Rated for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1: Genesis

Editors Note: This is my first ever fanfiction, so please be kind. Note that at this point I have not completed FF8, so forgive me for any innacuracies.

* * *

Drip. Drip. Drip. The sound of water, slowly falling from the ceiling of the darkened room, echoed through the silence. The room was dark, except for the centre, where a cylindrical tube hung from the ceiling like an oversized stalactite, glowing softly in the gloom. Wires ran all over the place, littering the floor, crawling up the walls and snaking across the ceiling like vines, all converging on the pillar in the centre of the room.

The room itself was filled with complex equipment and machinery, computer terminals, humming spheres filled with delicate instruments, all busily at work doing whatever job they did. And all the while, the translucent pillar in the centre of the room glowed softly.

"Is it ready?" Said a voice from out of the gloom.

One of the shadows shifted, and became a man.

"Is it ready?" He asked again, his eyes resting on the tube in the middle of the room, in which a shape could be seen, floating.

"Not yet. It needs another few days." Replied another voice.

One of the many pieces of equipment on the floor started emitting a low buzzing sound. The man who had spoken first glanced over in its direction.

"You are too pessimistic, my friend. The diagnostic has run already." He said casually, walking over to the instrument and tearing off the piece of paper it had just ejected.

"Well? What does it say?" Asked another voice, female this time.

The man looked up from the document he was reading. He smiled faintly, a look of triumph creeping onto his face.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Project Crystal has succeeded. We've done it at last!" The other man in the room let out a slow breath he had been holding, whilst the girl fidgeted a little where she stood.

As if waiting for him to finish, the pillar in the centre hissed suddenly and violently, large amounts of vapour cascading down its sides. Without warning, the cylinder lost its transparency. Now the object floating inside the glass tube could be seen clearly. It was the figure of a naked human boy of about eighteen or so. Wires ran into his body on all sides, pumping strange fluids into his body. But the strangest things of all were the constructs on his back. They appeared to be wings.

"Are you sure about this? There are all kinds of moral implications here. If word leaks out about this too early-" The second man started, but the first silenced him with a glare.

"Don't you understand, John? We have just made history here! Do you have any idea how long it took me to acquire the necessary equipment and funds? Us three are the only people who know anything about this experiment. And that's how it'll stay…for now." The other two figures nodded at this.

Inside the tube, the boy surrounded by wires began to move. Just a little. Just one finger twitched slightly. Little did anyone know what this little finger twitch would lead to.

"How will we test its capabilities?" The girl asked. The first man smiled. He knew exactly how best to find out what this weapon was capable of.

"SeeD. SeeD will do nicely."

Then, everything happened at once. One after the other, all the tubes inside the pillar detatched themselves from the young boy. The fluid in the tube immediately began to bubble and froth. An alarm sounded, and a flashing red light whirled above the stasis tube as all the fluid began to drain out of it. No longer supported by his wires, the boy in the tube fell against the side of the pillar. The first thing he saw as he opened his eyes for the first time was a blinding white light.

It would all begin soon...very soon.


	2. Chapter 2: The Storm Begins

Editors Note: I would like to say a huge thank you to all those who have submitted reviews so far. It's because of people like you that make stories such as this one possible.

"Would Storm Leonhart please report to the briefing room. I repeat, would Storm Leonhart please report to the briefing room immediately. Thank you."

The message over the intercom faded and was replaced by static as the girl on the bed paused in between press-ups. Slowly, she lowered her body onto the bed and lay there for a moment, thinking. This was the message she had been waiting for. At long last, after a month of waiting, she had been given her first mission.

She slowly raised her head, looking into the mirror by the side of her bed. Her own face looked back at her grimly, masked beneath a layer of sweat. Quickly, she shook her head. This was not the time to be bothering about her appearance. It would not do to keep her father waiting. Especially since he was now her superior officer. After the Ultimecia incident, Squall Leonhart had been promoted. He was now the leader of SeeD, the elite mercenary unit with headquarters in Balamb Garden.

Storm had inherited her father's untidy hair and striking appearance, but she had her mother's brown eyes. Rinoa Leonhart had married Squall two years after their return from Ultimecia's castle. The rest, as they say, is history. Whilst she was thinking this, Storm was getting dressed into her SeeD uniform. Soon, she would be in the briefing room, and Squall would be telling her about her upcoming mission.

Her first mission…the first step into the future…

**In the Briefing Room…**

Squall Leonhart sat in the small, dark room, thinking to himself. Any moment Storm was going to walk through that door. And he was going to send her on her first mission. On one hand, he was filled with pride at the fact that his daughter had graduated from Balamb Garden. On the other hand, he was very worried. He would be sending his daughter, his only daughter, into a world where one small mistake could cost you your life. Was Storm ready for this? Many SeeDs had failed in the past.

Squall was woken from his quiet reverie by a small knock at the door.

"Come in." He said, his words betraying no emotion. The door slowly opened and in stepped his daughter. She slowly walked across the room and sat down opposite Squall, facing him across the desk which separated them. She smiled.

"Well, dad, what do you have installed for me?"

Squall smiled at this. "You seem confident. That's good. This is a very simple mission, but you should still be cautious. The communications tower in Dollet stopped transmitting two days ago. Around that time, several local residents say they saw a burning object fall from the sky and embed itself near to that location. SeeD has been contacted about this because the soldiers sent to investigate the incident never came back. We have agreed to send a single SeeD to investigate the incident; Dollet does not want to waste any more troops."

"So what you're saying is, I go in alone, scout out the area, see what's going on, and if it's something suspicious, put an end to it?" Said Storm, slowly. Squall nodded.

"It's a simple mission. But remember, things go wrong, No matter how well planned they are. Do you accept this mission?" But he already knew what the answer would be.

"Of course I do. I'll go get ready. By your leave." Squall nodded and she got up and left the room.

"Oh man…I've changed. I never used to be this cautious when I was on active duty…" He said to the empty room.


	3. Chapter 3: First Mission

(Two days ago)

The burning object crashed down, smashing its way through the atmosphere and ploughing into the ground, sending up a massive plume of earth and dust. A second later, the thing exploded. The ground around it vaporised as the object was consumed by a massive fireball, creating a crater at least twenty metres in diameter. Fires raged along the crater's ridge, the smoke obscuring whatever remained of the object. Nothing should have been able to survive such a catastrophic incident. But within the fiery inferno, something was stirring. Something had survived.

In an unknown location, far away from the impact site, an alarm sounded. A harassed looking man turned away from the television screen he was watching and spoke to the figure sitting next to him.

"Sir, we have a problem." On the screen, almost entirely obscured by the smoky haze, a human form was emerging from the crater.

"Oh my god…was it damaged?" The figure asked. The harassed man checked the data stream following the humanoid form on the screen in front of him.

"I'm afraid so, sir. It has lost some of its memory." The figure next to him swore loudly. Things just kept getting worse…

(The Present)

Storm hadn't expected her first mission to be exciting. She hadn't expected it to be important. And yet…she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. The boat trip to Dollet was going sooooooooo slowly. To occupy herself, she began running through some gunblade techniques Squall had taught her. Storm took great pride in Parallax, her gunblade. The blade end was longer than usual, with a picture of Griever burned into both sides. It was made of a special alloy that made it both light and strong. However, it had never been used in real combat. For this reason, Storm trained with it intensely, knowing that the day would soon come when she had to kill with it. She didn't particularly like the idea of killing, but making a successful career out of being a mercenary without killing anyone was exceptionally difficult, bordering on the impossible.

Slash, stab, duck, kick. Slice, stab, punch, slash. She ran through countless variants of these moves, the room around her blurring as she did so, until she was no longer in a small cabin on a ship, but in an alternate reality filled with demons and enemies. The adrenaline rush was exhilarating, even when it wasn't real combat. Right now, Storm's mind was fighting, not her true being. She thrust her blade forwards, stabbing at imaginary foes, ducking and weaving as she did so. Only when all her unreal enemies were utterly dismembered did she stop practising.

She collapsed onto her seat, utterly exhausted. _I really shouldn't tire myself out like this, _she thought to herself dully. But it had worked; there were only five minutes left until they reached Dollet. Dollet…she had only been there once before, when she was very young. She had memories of winding streets, and how her father had told her stories of when he had completed his first mission here. Stories of how Seifer had disobeyed orders and followed enemy soldiers to the communications tower, and of how this incident had lead to them being chased back down to the beach by a giant, homicidal mechanical spider.

By the time she had finished thinking this, they had arrived. Firstly, she was to meet with the leader of the scouts who had been sent to investigate the impact site near the abandoned communications tower. He was one of the few people who had actually witnessed the burning object fall from the sky. He hadn't gone with the rest of the scouts due to a leg injury, which was fortunate, since none of the men sent to investigate had come back. Then she was to investigate the impact site herself and search for the missing men.

One of her objectives was already close to completion; the captain of the scouts was already waiting for her by the docks. He limped over to her as she disembarked from the carrier ship. They saluted each other, then got straight down to business.

"What exactly did you see happen two days ago, Captain Vicks?" She asked politely. Vicks thought for a moment.

"Well, the first thing I noticed was a whistling sound. It kept getting louder, so I went outside to take a look, y'know? It looked like a shooting star…except it was red and fiery, not white and pretty. When it hit the ground, I heard this deep booming sound, like an earthquake bomb's been dropped. Of course, I reported it to my CO straight away. Thought it might have been a missile attack." He replied, still looking thoughtful. Storm nodded for him to go on, but that seemed to be it. She got up to leave.

Just as she was about to go, he spoke out, "What we told Balamb Garden…wasn't quite true. We said that nobody came back. But one man did. He was bleeding and had deep cuts all over his body. And he kept repeating the same phrase over and over."

Storm turned back to him. Finally, something new. "What did he say?" She asked. Captain Vicks took a deep breath, and then spoke.

"He said that "The angel of death came for them" over and over and over."

Storm thanked the man for the information, though it hadn't told her much she didn't already know. The only new piece of information was about the man who lived, though that hadn't made any sense at all. She turned to look at the hill nearby where the object had landed. The communications tower rose above the town like a guardian giant, its massive frame etched against the sky. That was her next destination. It was the place were her father's great adventure had begun. Was it where she would begin one too? _Possibly…_

How right she would be.

The path to the communications tower was long and full of twists and turns. Storm could still make out the imprints of boot heels in the dirt, signs the scouts had left behind two days earlier. She stopped, and shivered. Something was definitely amiss here. It was far too quiet. She sighed, and carried on walking. As she rounded a nearby corner, she found her first dead body.

It was a gruesome sight. Storm nearly vomited when she saw what had happened. The man lay on his back, lifeless eyes staring up into the sky. There were a number of ragged stab wounds around his chest, and the right hand side of him seemed badly burned. Already the flies were swarming around him. They say that the first time you look upon death with your own eyes, it stays with you for the rest of your life. Storm realised that now. Something was seriously wrong. Quickly, she unhooked her radio and dialled the Garden.

Immediately Squall picked up.

"Leonhart here."

"Dad!"

"Storm! What is your status! Have you found the scouts?"

"Yeah, I found one of them."

"What is his status?"

"Dead."

"What!"

"You heard me. He's dead. Request backup."

"I'm afraid that's not an option. It's in the terms of the contract. Dollet wants this incident to go as quietly as possible."

"Fine. Could you at least contact the Dollet armed forces?"

"I will try, but I can't promise anything. Look, Storm…if you want out, then…"

"No way. I have to complete this mission."

There was a sigh at the other end. Storm smiled. She knew that he knew she wouldn't give up.

"Okay. But if anything else happens, I want you out of there."

He signed off. Sighing slightly, Storm put away her radio and looked down at the corpse at her feet. _He deserves a proper burial, but I don't have the time…_ Suddenly, Storm felt a very strange sensation. She would come to know in time what it was, but right now she had no idea that it was the feeling that she was being watched. She shrugged it off and continued her way up the slope. Some distance behind her, concealed behind a large bush, a human figure moved. Two large white wings unfurled themselves as the figure stepped out from behind the shrub. Who was this mysterious girl? Would she try to kill him too? The figure hoped not. He didn't want to have to kill anyone else.


	4. Chapter 4: Blast From The Past

Editors Note: Yes! At last, this chapter is up. I've also updated all the other chapters up to this point. thankyou to everyone who has reviewed and given me advice and constructive criticism. In this chapter, it all starts getting very interesting...

* * *

The wind blew hard as Storm continued her way up the winding path to the communications tower. She encountered numerous bodies along the way. Their wounds led her to believe that they had been killed by magic. They had all been either burned, struck by lightning or frozen. The frozen bodies were the worst, their expressions preserved in the icy blocks of their demise. The ice still hadn't melted, meaning that whoever cast the magic was very powerful and proficient in using it.

"This is giving me the creeps…" She said to herself aloud. She still hadn't got rid of the feeling she'd had earlier. In fact, it now seemed even stronger than before. She shook her head; now was not the time to be pondering such matters.

As a precaution, she unsheathed Parallax and held it ready as she rounded the next corner. The communications tower came into view. Now she saw why it had stopped transmitting. It had been annihilated. There were craters and broken steel beams everywhere. The tower itself was still standing, but it creaked and groaned in the wind, seeming as if at any moment it could fall down. The big dish at the top had fallen off completely and was now blocking the entrance to the tower itself.

"What the hell…what the hell could do this…" She whispered in shock as she took in the situation. Again, there were the tell-tale signs of magic. But no magic was powerful enough to do this, not even sorcerer magic. Storm was beginning to realise that this was far more complicated than a simple reconnaissance mission. She decided to inform her father. Once again, she unhooked her radio.

"Squall?"

Static.

"Squall!"

Static.

"Dad, are you there?"

"…i…you…Sto…rm…"

"You're breaking up! I need help! The tower has been utterly destroyed! Get me out of here!"

"…ye…withdraw…dan…ger…" The radio went dead. But that was impossible. SeeD radios had ranges of up to ten kilometres. Unless…someone was jamming her.

Suddenly, Storm heard something behind her. She whirled round, Parallax flashing in her hands. But it was nothing. There was nothing there. Nothing that she could see anyway.

Out of sight behind the abandoned, derelict tower, the unknown figure stood. He was quite tall, with short black hair which barely touched his ears. His features were prominent and handsome. All in all, he was striking. But most striking of all were his eyes. They were a deep purple colour. He shifted his balance a little, craning his neck around the tower to look at the young girl standing there. She hadn't noticed him yet. Dully, he tried to remember what he was supposed to be doing here. Suddenly, the tower in front of him blurred and he fell to his knees, unknown memories forcing themselves into his mind.

(Flashback)

"_There he is! The bastard who killed Davis!" _

_They were shouting. He shook his head, realising that there was red stuff on his hands. He looked down. At his feet was a man. He was quite dead; his body stabbed and hacked beyond recognition. Other men were jumping out at him everywhere, machine guns and swords raised. _

"_Wha…what is going on…?" He said numbly as one of the men opened fire. He felt several bullets slam into him. Why were they attacking him? Had he…killed that man? He didn't remember doing it…_

_Suddenly, a nameless rage arose within him. He lifted his hand, drawing a symbol in the air as blue light surrounded him on all sides. Green sparks filled the air as he let loose the spell he had been holding. A torrent of white flames engulfed the soldier, leaving nothing but a charred skeleton holding a lump of molten metal._

"_Argh! It's a demon! Kill it!" _

_The rage was still there. One of the men charged forwards, his sword raised. He didn't even flinch as the sword was rammed into his body, burying itself up to the hilt in his stomach. The soldier looked terrified as the winged boy slowly looked up from the sword. _

_He rammed his hand into the soldier's neck, his fingers going straight through and out the other side. Using his neck as a handhold, he lifted the dying soldier into the air and threw him into two others. _

_Everything else was a blur._

(End Flashback)

He looked back down at his hands. They were still covered in blood. Now that he thought about it, his entire body was. He looked again at the girl. She was looking around her fearfully now. He vaguely recognised the uniform she was wearing. Was it…SeeD?

**_Yes, it is_**… A voice in his head replied. He suddenly felt sick and fell to his knees again. 

"Get…out of…my head…" He whispered.

**_Kill the SeeD!_**

"I will not!"

**_Kill her! Burn her, stab her, tear her head off!_**

"I…won…t…urgh!"

He was unable to control his body any longer. Slowly, he stood up, and walked out from behind the tower.


	5. Chapter 5: Angel of Death

Editors note: This is my longest chapter to date. Please R&R to tell me if i'm making any stupid mistakes.

* * *

Storm heard a sudden movement behind her. She whirled round, gunblade extended, as a nightmare walked out from behind the tower. He was covered in blood from head to foot, with large bloodstained white wings extending out of his back from below his shoulder blades. In his hands he held a long, bloody spear. He was walking towards her slowly and deliberately. Storm backed away quickly, terrified. Now she knew what the maddened soldier had meant by 'Angel of Death'.

He stopped several metres in front of her. He wasn't wearing much; a small shirt with numerous bullet holes and slashes through it and a pair of ripped and ragged trousers. They were both bloodstained. Suddenly, he leapt forwards, further than any normal person could. The spear came down. Storm raised her gunblade, blocking the spears deadly descent.

The boy leaped backwards, his wings propelling him back further as he sketched symbols in the air with his fingers. The sky grew black around the tower, massive storm clouds gathering above. A torrent of lightning was let loose into the air, sparking and crackling, heading straight for her. Storm rolled out of the way, the smell of ozone filling her senses as the beam of lightning narrowly missed her.

She jumped to her feet, ready to fend off any more attacks. The winged boy was nowhere to be seen. The area was deathly quiet. The only sound was the creaking of the ruined tower and the faint whistle of the wind. The wind…this was a sheltered area, so why was the wind so strong?

She realised what was going on a split second before it happened. With reflexes she did not know she possessed, Storm dived to the right as a razor sharp blade of air rushed by, leaving a long scar in the ground where she had just been. Somehow, her attacker had managed to get behind her.

The figure raised his spear and charged. Storm took careful aim with her gunblade and fired, putting several rounds into his body. But he kept coming. In desperation, Storm resorted to magic. She raised her hand, drawing energy from her surroundings and focusing it into her palm. The boy was nearly upon her. With a desperate scream, Storm released her spell.

A shining beam of energy shot out from her hand, slamming into the boy and blasting him backwards into the abandoned tower. This was more than the derelict building could take, and it began to collapse. Metal beams and building materials began to fall free of the collapsing tower as it succumbed to gravities pull. The boy had just enough time to look up before the entire thing fell on top of him.

Unable to stop herself, Storm began to cry. This was too much. Before this mission, she had yearned for adventure. Now, she felt like quitting SeeD.

"I…I killed a person…" She sobbed, staring at the heap of rubble in front of her. Did that make her a murderer? He had tried to kill her. If she hadn't killed him, he would probably have succeeded. And yet…

Her radio beeped. Hands shaking, she unhooked it.

"Storm!" It was Squall.

"Dad, get me out of here. Someone attacked me. I killed him."

"Okay, I'll send the Ragnarok over. Just calm down and sit tight, we'll have you out of there in no time."

"O-okay. Just…get here soon."

She ended the call and sat down on the floor. What a mess. There was rubble everywhere, strewn all over the place. From deep within the wreckage, there came a dull screeching sound, like metal scraping against metal. Storm slowly turned her head. The pile of bricks and metal was moving. All of a sudden, a hand exploded out of the wreckage. A second later, another hand burst from amidst the pile of metal.

"No…that's impossible!" Storm screamed as the boy pulled himself free of the wreckage. He was cut all over and his left arm looked broken. Raising her gunblade, Storm emptied her magazine into the winged being. How could anyone take this kind of punishment and live?

But it seemed that the winged boy had reached his limits. After the last shot had been fired, he slowly keeled over, rolling down the pile of rubble until he got to the bottom, where he lay still and unmoving. Cautiously, Storm approached the body. He made no movement as she bent over him, rolling him over with her foot. Keeping her gunblade ready, she bent over and felt for a pulse. It was there. It was very weak, but it was there.

She heard a noise above her and looked up. A giant red spaceship was descending from the sky. As it approached, landing gear extended and the Ragnarok landed smoothly. With a hiss, the landing ramp lowered and several people scrambled out. One of them was Squall. He ran over to her, hugging her tightly.

"Storm…what the hell happened?" He asked, his voice laced with concern. She looked up at him, her face still full of tear streaks.

"HE happened!" She sobbed, pointing towards the limp body on the ground next to them. Squall quickly bent down, feeling for a pulse just like Storm had done earlier.

"He's still alive. You said he was dead." He said, looking at her questioningly.

"That's what I thought. But look at how many times he's been shot!" She said, beginning to cry again.

"I think it's best if we go back to the Garden now. Today has been a big shock for you." He said gently, steering her away from the winged figure on the ground and back towards the Ragnarok. When she was inside, he signalled to two other SeeDs. Quickly, they picked the mauled body off the floor and carried it inside.

Whatever that boy was, Squall intended to find out.


	6. Chapter 6: The Interrogation

Editors Note: Another chapter complete! Our Angel of Death finally acquires a name! Read on, you know you want to really!

* * *

Dr. Kadowaki removed yet another bullet from the mangled body in front of her. That made thirty-six. That alone should have been enough to kill the young man strapped to the operating table. It was nothing short of a miracle, considering that he also had three stab wounds and second degree burns all over his chest. She was jerked out of her thoughts by a sudden moan from the boy on the table. He had begun to stir. Dr. Kadowaki sighed and reached over to the table at her side, fumbling for the hypodermic needle she needed.

Grasping the medical instrument in her right hand, she injected the sedative into his body. After a few seconds, he stopped moaning. He was also highly resistant to most forms of sedative. It took three times the maximum safe dosage to knock him out, and even then, his unconsciousness lasted barely half an hour. Dr. Kadowaki sighed again and resumed the process of dressing and cleaning his wounds. It was going to be a long night…

* * *

"I'm okay mum, really." Storm protested as her mother embraced her in a bone-crushing hug. Rinoa Leonhart pulled back and looked at her daughter.

"Are you sure? Did you get hurt? Did he scare you?" Thereafter followed a torrent of questions. Storm waited patiently for the flow to end.

"Mum, I'm fine. I'm a SeeD now. I was scared at first, but I'm fine now." She replied. It was true; she had calmed down a lot since the events at the communications tower.

"You're SURE you're okay?" Her mother repeated. Storm rolled her eyes and sighed. She could appreciate her mother's concern, but…

"Rin, if Storm were upset about anything, she'd tell us." Said her father. They were all crammed into Squall's small office on the second floor of Balamb Garden. Storm was sitting on the large sofa with her parents on either side of her. Her mother still looked a little worried. Squall looked thoughtful.

"But something bothers me. No, that's a lie. A LOT of things bother me. Who is that guy? Why did he attack you and all those scouts? How could he possibly survive those terrible wounds? And just what the hell was he doing there in the first place?" He said aloud, voicing what Storm had been thinking. It didn't make any sense. Just what were they dealing with here?

"He…he just attacked me for no reason…he was going to kill me." Storm muttered. Squall looked at her.

"You get that a lot when you're a SeeD. Some people hate you for what you stand for. Others hate you because you killed someone important to them in battle. There are all sorts of reasons. But this…This doesn't seem like one of those." Squall said gently. Rinoa stood up.

"We're not going to get anywhere by talking about it. We need to ask our winged friend a few questions." She said, a grim expression on her face.

Storm looked up in alarm. "You cant! It's too dangerous!" She gasped, not believing what she was hearing.

"Don't worry. He's had an anti-magic seal put on him." Her father reassured her. He too got up. He turned his head to look at her.

"Do you want to come?" He asked. Storm nodded and got up. Mentally, she prepared herself to once again come face to face with her assailant.

* * *

It was dark and hazy when he awoke. The small room swam before his eyes as he tried to make out his surroundings. He suddenly realised that he hurt all over. Slowly, he went over his most recent memories. He had attacked that young girl, then what? Oh yes, she had made the tower fall on top of him. He had had just enough strength to pull himself out of the rubble. That was where his memory ended. And now he was here. He didn't know anything. Who he was, what he was supposed to do, anything.

"Who…am I?" He asked the room at large. His wings twitched behind him, reminding him of their existence.

"And why do I have these…things? Why doesn't anyone else? How did I survive all those attacks?" He asked the room again. He had to start somewhere. What was the most basic thing that everyone possessed but which was at the same time unique to the individual?

"A name…what is…my name?" He was confused. He knew he had one, but…

Suddenly, memories came flooding back to him.

(Flashback)

_"Easy there. You've broken your leg. You should be more careful when training, you know!" Someone was saying._

"_I have to try harder. I know I can do better, Doctor." He replied. The man helping him to walk smiled._

"_That's the spirit, Gale! Now, your leg should heal in about…"_

(End Flashback)

"My name…Gale…" He mumbled, staring at the floor as he tried to remember more. He had a name. That was a start.

He was jolted out of his memories by the sound of a door opening. He whirled round, his eyes fearful as three figures entered the room. He shrank back into a corner, folding his wings over himself so that he was shielded from the other people in the small cell.

"Wh-what do you want?" He stuttered, hiding his face behind the barrier of his wings.

"We want to know everything. Who you are, where you're from, everything."


	7. Chapter 7: Winds of Slaughter

Editors Note: Here we are again. This chapter marks Gale's transformation from a confused child back into an Angel of Death. This chapter contains a lot of violence. Well at least,I think it's fairly violent. Anyhow, what are you doing listening to me? Read on!_

* * *

_

_Activating Security Camera 1342 Recording from: Holding cell 45. Interview started at 0800 hours. _

_"Who are you?" - Squall_

_>Silence _

"_What is your name?" - Squall_

"…_Gale." - Gale_

"_Why did you attack those men?" - Squall_

"…_I don't know." - Gale_

"_What do you mean?" - Rinoa_

"…_I'm not sure." - Gale_

"_Why did you attack my daughter?" - Rinoa_

"…_Your daughter?" - Gale_

"_Yes." - Rinoa_

"…_I apologise. I do not know." - Gale_

"_What do you mean? You must have a reason." - Squall_

"_I told you…I do not know. If I knew, I would say…" - Gale_

"_Were you alone?" - Squall_

"_I think so…I don't remember." - Gale_

"_How did you recover from those wounds?" - Squall_

_>Silence _

"_You don't know? You must know something." - Rinoa_

"…_Why is she here?" – Gale_

"_What?" – Storm_

"_I tried to kill you. Why are you here? Aren't you scared?" – Gale_

"…_No." – Storm_

"…_That's…nice. Most people…fear me." – Gale_

"_Enough. What we really want to know is-"_

_Interview Terminated at 0811 hours. Power Failure._

* * *

Throughout the Garden, alarms sounded. Suddenly Balamb Garden was on full red alert. Intruders had been detected in the Quad. Two security guards had been shot. All the cameras on that level had been disabled by a powerful electromagnetic pulse. In short, it was chaos. 

"What is it?" Gale asked. He looked confusedly at the flashing red lights whirling everywhere.

"Never mind!" Growled Squall, unsheathing his gunblade and making a move for the door.

"Come on!" He said to Rinoa and Storm, who hurried to comply, the latter also drawing her gunblade. Gale sat calmly where he was, staring at his reflection in the glassy black floor tiles.

"You, stay here and don't cause trouble." Squall said to Gale as he closed the door to the cell and sped down the hallway, his family jogging behind him to keep up. An attack? Who in their right minds would take on a Garden with military force? It made no sense.

Back in the cell, Gale slowly got up. He crossed over to the door and looked at it intently. It was electrically operated and required a code to get through. Oh well. It was worth a try at least. He gently pushed against the cold metal of the door. To his great surprise, it slowly swung open. He peered around the doorway, listening to the sounds of gunfire echoing down from distant hallways. Were the people firing the guns coming to kill him as well?

He felt the rage flare up within him again. He wouldn't let them. He tried to control the burning fury inside his head, but he simply couldn't hold himself back.

In the Quad, a heated battle was raging. Shadowy soldiers wearing dark uniforms were fighting viciously against the Garden's Resident SeeDs. Neither side seemed to be winning, and both parties had suffered heavy losses.

"Where are they coming from?" Shouted Storm as she fired her gunblade, her targets chest exploding into a bloody mess as the anti personnel round bored into his heart.

"I have no idea!" Her father shouted back, ducking down as a shot rang out overhead, narrowly missing him. No matter how many were killed, they just kept on coming.

A metallic clinking sound drew his attention away momentarily as he saw a grenade bounce over the makeshift barricade the SeeDs had erected. In one smooth motion, Squall scooped it up and threw it back towards their attackers. A second later there came a violent explosion. The blast blew massive chunks out of the stone floor, showering both sides with small splinters of concrete. This was getting serious. First the boy with superhuman powers, and now this shadowy gang of assassins? Surely this cant be purely coincidental.

Slowly but surely, the enemy was gaining ground. Squall looked around just in time to see Rinoa blast one of them with a fire spell when he noticed the silently watching figure near the entrance to the Quad.

Gale watched the conflict unfold with cold interest. He vaguely recognised the soldiers clad in dark armour, but he couldn't quite place them… Slowly, he walked forwards. The chatter of gunfire seemed to die down a little as he put himself in plain view of the unknown soldiers.

"Who the hell are you…" He said, loud enough for everyone to hear. A soldier who had a gold stripe down one sleeve stood up suddenly.

""We are here to take you home. Come with us and we will not hurt you." He said in a low, dangerous voice. Gale simply smiled.

"And if I refuse?" He asked coldly. This time it was the soldier who smiled.

"I have explicit orders from Dr. Blaine. If the subject refuses to co-operate, termination is authorised." He replied, equally coldly.

So, Gale thought to himself, he had been right. They had come to kill him. That left only one thing for him to do.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about. You see, I don't remember anything. Now that I think about it, I don't actually care. Sorry, but I refuse." He replied calmly, mentally preparing himself for the battle to come.

"That's a pity. Dr. Blaine worked so hard on you…only for you to become a worthless failure." He lifted his shotgun and fired. Five large bullets exploded out of the end of the gun. Gale was hit squarely in the stomach. He blinked, looking down at the blood seeping out of his midsection.

"Is that the best you can do?" He growled ominously. Without warning, he released the spell he had been silently charging behind his back. A wave of energy blasted outwards from his hands, ripping through the black clad soldier in a spray of blood and gore. Immediately the other soldiers opened fire. Gale held up his hand, a wall of blue light springing up in front of him. The bullets simply bounced off the shimmering barrier as he slowly advanced.

The soldier nearest to him stood up, ramming his sword upwards towards Gales head. Gale brought his right arm up, blocking the blade with his bare hands. Snarling, he wrenched the sword out of his hands, reversed it and swung it in a half circle. The soldier let out a desperate gurgle as he was sliced in half. Whirling round, Gale threw the bloodstained sword at another soldier, spearing him through the head.

Gale began his slow advance again, his eyes daring anyone to try and attack him. Concealed behind a bush, another man leaped out at him from behind, driving his blade straight through Gales chest. Gale looked calmly down at the steel blade embedded in his chest. Then he spun round, lashing out with his left foot in a vicious spinning kick that nearly tore the man's head off. The snap of his neck breaking could be heard echoing around the Quad.

By this time, most of the dark soldiers were running from the field of battle. Those few who stayed did not live long enough to regret it. At last, none of the shadowy warriors were left. Gale looked around him. Then he turned to a shaken looking Squall.

"I hope I didn't cause any trouble for you."


	8. Chapter 8: Gales and Cloudy Skies

Editors Note: Chapter Eight is up and running! Quite a bit is revealed here, but not too much. Please R&R to tell me if i'm doing anything stupid.

* * *

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't execute you on the spot, soldier! Why isn't the experimental weapon back in our hands yet?"

The cowering captain stared up at the man in front of him in terror. To say that Dr. Blaine was angry would be the understatement of the year. He reminded the captain of an enraged Propagator he had once seen.

"S-sir," he stammered, "We didn't expect…didn't expect the weapon to refuse and retaliate. It brutally slaughtered ten of my men, including our commanding officer."

"Excuses, excuses!" Dr. Blaine roared, "Do you have any idea how long I spent working on that thing? Twenty years of research, fund raising and experimentation. I will not let that all be in vain. Let me make myself clear, Captain. I am giving you one more chance to return the weapon to me. That's all. And if you fail…" He trailed off, a murderous look on his face.

He stormed off, muttering furiously to himself. It was bad enough that the weapon had malfunctioned, but what if it developed feelings? Or a will of its own? Such things would be hard to erase. It had been the most successful experiment so far. But it had also been the most human.

Dr. Blaine was a tall, heavily built man with flaming red hair and an equally fiery temper. He lived only for his work, and he enjoyed it immensely. The only clothes anyone had ever seen him wear was his lab coat, and whilst the other workers at Origin Station went home at weekends, he remained behind to watch over the experiments.

The Doctor sighed. It looked like he would have to resort to Plan B, since the direct approach had failed. His walk had brought him to a massive steel blast door with numerous locks and security devices. He reached into his pocket, searching for something. Finding what he was looking for, he drew out a large silver card key and swiped it through the device at the side of the door.

It slowly hissed open. Inside was a room lined with glowing tubes, all focusing into a central pillar. Floating inside was a man with spiky blonde hair. The Doctor walked over to a control panel and looked at the tube. The nameplate above the pillar clearly read:

_Experiment 1430 _

_Name: Cloud_

"Maybe now I can put this failure to some use…" Dr. Blaine whispered as he hit a button marked 'Emergency Release'.

* * *

"I don't see what the fuss is all about." Gale stated moodily as Dr. Kadowaki removed yet another bullet from his battered body. He didn't flinch as the doctor carefully pulled the round out with a small, wet popping sound. 

"The fuss is about how you survived all this. Since you've arrived here, I've had to remove a total of forty-one bullets from you. And yet, whenever I give you an MRI scan, it shows there to be no damage to your internal organs."

"…I don't get it." He said. He looked down at his bare midsection, noticing how whenever Dr. Kadowaki removed a bullet, the wound behind it immediately healed over. The same was true for the stab wounds.

"Nobody does." She replied with a sigh.

"If that's the last of them, can I go now? Or am I still a prisoner?" He asked with a crooked smile.

"We both know that if you wanted to escape, we couldn't stop you." She replied with another sigh as he jumped down from the hospital bed he had been lying on. He needed answers to some of these questions, and he intended to find out sooner rather than later.

* * *

Storm turned the corner just in time to see Gale leaving the infirmary. She stopped suddenly, watching as the tall, winged boy strode away from her towards the library. She hesitated, wondering if she should follow him. On one hand, he had tried to kill her earlier. On the other hand, he had also saved their lives. Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her. She turned and saw Squall standing there. 

"Storm…what are you doing here? You know he's dangerous." He said, his brow furrowed.

"I was on my way to my room, that's all." She replied. It was true; she had been going to clean her gunblade off.

"Well, just be sure to stay away from him. He's dangerous and it would break my heart if anything were to happen to you." Squall said, placing his hand on her shoulder. Storm looked up at him and smiled.

"Don't worry. I'll stay away from him." She assured him, turning away and hurrying towards her room.

Like I'd follow someone who tried to kill me, she thought to herself sarcastically. The whole idea seemed stupid now, and besides, she didn't want her father to worry. Storm approached her room, fumbling with the door key as she did so. She felt strange; part of her still wanted to go back and tail him.

Behind her, Squall stood still for a moment, then hurried off after Gale's retreating form. Something that powerful should not be allowed to wander around the Garden freely. He was glad he had caught Storm before she could do anything stupid.

* * *

_The powers of the ancient sorcerer tribes were varied and great. In eons past, they were a peaceful and wise people. Everything changed in the ancient Trabia Wars, however, as thousands of sorcerers – _

"Nope." Gale said to himself, closing another book and standing up so he could reach up to replace it. He had been in the library for half an hour and had not found a single scrap of information that could tell him what he was. His snow-white wings twitched in irritation as he sat down on the floor, rubbing his temples and muttering under his breath.  
Out of sheer irritation, he pulled a random book out of the shelf in front of him and opened it to a random page. Without much hope, he began to read.

…_is detailed below._

_Angel Wing_

_Angel wing is the sorcerer's last weapon. It focuses all the magic the body contains, multiplying it a thousand fold. However, this power comes at the cost of the sorcerer's will, which is overpowered for a brief period. Thus, the sorcerer/sorceress loses control over their own body, often resulting in total devastation. If this phenomenon could be controlled, it would be the most deadly weapon in the history of the world._

Gale slowly closed the book. Could it be…? He craned his neck over to stare at his wings. Angel Wing…his white wings…the assassins…his lack of memory…the girl he had randomly and senselessly attacked…all of them were linked somehow.

"This is most disturbing…" He said to himself aloud. From the way everyone in the library had suddenly left when he arrived, he was on his own for now. At least, he thought he was.

Squall sat behind a bookcase, listening to Gale talking to himself. Thinking, he questioned himself as to how on earth this murderous being had got here. It had attacked his daughter. The old Squall would have whipped out his gunblade and torn him to pieces for even thinking about such a thing. Then he realised the ultimate truth.

He felt sorry for him.


	9. Chapter 9: Puzzle Pieces

Editors Note: Tension is building...more stuff gets revealed...yeah, you get the picture. As per usual, please give constructive comments and reviews.

* * *

The wind howled like a wounded animal as the blonde haired figure stood on the mountains overlooking Balamb Garden, his cold blue eyes taking in the surrounding area. From his vantage point high on the cliff, he could make out every detail of the sprawling complex. A college for soldiers…a haven for murderers…

It was not yet the right time to strike. That would come soon. The blonde man smiled to himself as he unhooked the massive sword he was carrying. From what he had heard, experiment number 1500 seemed to have no weaknesses. But he would find one.

"I'll prove to them that I'm not a failure…" He said to himself. He would bring number 1500 back to Origin Station…dead or alive, it no longer made any difference. Maybe, though, it would be better if he killed him. Then they would see that he was the perfect weapon, not number 1500.

He smiled to himself again as he began the long walk down the mountainside.

* * *

The bathroom filled with steam as Gale turned up the heat dial on the shower. He had found an empty room on the second floor of Balamb Garden. Nobody had told him to get out yet, so he assumed that it was alright for him to stay there.

Not like anyone would have the guts to kick me out anyway, he thought dully. All the other residents avoided him. He supposed they had good reason to.

Some parts of his upper body were still bloodstained. All his wounds had completely healed, but the dried blood still remained. Raising the showerhead, he began to scrub himself clean. First his chest, then his stomach. Legs and arms came next, then his back. Finally, there was the most difficult part.

He frowned as the muscles in his wings contracted, bringing them under his armpits and into plain sight. It was going to be hell to dry them, but, as they were already wet…

Some loose feathers fell to the ground as Gale stepped out of the shower. His purple eyes narrowed as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. Satisfied, he turned, but something caught his eye. He craned his neck, looking back at the mirror to try and catch a glimpse of whatever he had seen. Then he saw it. Directly between his wings he could make out some writing. It was a tattoo.

_1500_

_Gale_

Suddenly, the room around him blurred. Gale clutched at his head, realising that he was about to have another flashback. Unable to keep his balance, he fell to the floor, his head striking against the cold tiles.

(Flashback)

"_Just stay still, Gale. I'm afraid this is going to hurt." Said a voice from above him. He was lying on what looked like an operating table._

_Gale gasped as a needle was dragged across his back. "What are you doing?" He choked out. The pain was mind numbing._

"_Don't worry. It's just a precaution. It's in case there's an accident and we cant identify you." _

_The pain stopped. His eyes watered._

"_Well done. You're almost ready…just a few more tests, and Dr. Blaine says you'll be ready for your fist assignment!"_

(End Flashback)

Gale slowly picked himself up off the floor. A new piece had just been added to the puzzle. Things just keep getting more complicated, he thought to himself. He picked up a towel and began to dry himself vigorously.

* * *

Storm leaped forwards, swinging her gunblade around as Squall ducked underneath her attack. He slashed at her left side and she blocked, adrenaline coursing through her veins as she parried his vicious strokes. Even so, she knew he was holding back. He always did.

Quickly, she stepped back, swinging her gunblade around and bringing it down hard, smashing Squall's gunblade into the ground of the Training Area. Even though he held back, Storm had yet to beat her father at a gunblade duel. He quickly recovered from her attack and began a steady attack, keeping her on the defensive as she manoeuvred herself around, looking for an opening she could exploit. Sweat lined the brows of both combatants as they danced their deadly way across the Training Area.

Suddenly, she saw an opening. Squall's eyes went wide as Storm retaliated, driving him back furiously. She knew she was very close to finally defeating him. Then Squall made his fatal mistake. He noticed something out of the corner of his eye, and took his eyes off his opponent for one second.

One second was all she needed. Storm heaved her gunblade upwards, cleaving a trail through the ground and striking chips from the floor as her weapon smashed through Squall's defence. Lionheart went spinning out of Squall's hands as Storm's gunblade came to rest inches from his throat, just under his chin.

She had done it.

"Well done. I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever be able to beat me." Squall stated, putting his hand on the flat of the blade and lowering it.

"Dad! Don't be mean!" Storm exclaimed. Her father chuckled as he bent to retrieve his weapon.

"Really, though, well done. You're better than me now!" He said, picking up Lionheart.

"No, that time was just luck," Storm replied, "I'll beat you for real next time. And DON'T hold back." She said, turning round and walking quickly out of the Training Area.

Squall sighed, then turned his eyes to look at the thing which had distracted him. The purple eyed, winged boy was sitting some distance to his left. Storm had not seen him. He was watching Squall intently. Then something strange happened.

Gale clutched at his head, a look of pain on his face. He let out a groan as he fell to the ground, spasming slightly. Squall didn't know it, but he was having another flashback.


	10. Chapter 10: The Prehistoric Peril

Editors Note: Hello. This chapter has a bit of action in it. Come on people, I need more reviews. If my story sucks, tell me! I'll try and make it non-sucky!

* * *

(Flashback)

_CLANG!_

_The sound of metal on metal reverberated around the arena as the two combatants attacked each other. Gale went down on one knee, slashing upwards with the tip of his spear into his opponent's stomach. He rolled to his left, avoiding his opponent's wild swings at him._

_His opponent was male and more heavily built than himself, but that counted for little in fights like these, when speed was of the essence. Gale had received several nasty slashes himself from his opponent's twin short swords, but he tuned out the pain. It was one of his unique abilities._

_For a while, they circled each other, waiting for a chance to strike. Behind a protective screen, shadowy figures watched their progress._

_His opponent struck, throwing one of his short swords at Gale and leaping into the air. Gale was able to dodge the sword, rolling out of the way just in time as the blade embedded itself into the floor where he had been a few seconds ago. But he was unable to avoid his opponent entirely. _

_He looked up just in time to see his opponent's foot come smashing into his left leg. A horrible snapping sound echoed around the area as Gale's leg broke beneath him._

_His opponent looked down in triumph as he raised his remaining sword high. But Gale was not beaten yet. So fast that it was just a blur, his right wing shot out, feathers hardening until they were like steel. His opponent never knew what hit him. Blood slowly welled up, staining his plumage red as his opponent crumpled to the floor, a mass of feathers buried in his heart._

_Gale was vaguely aware of a hissing sound as his vision blurred. He became aware of someone looking down at him._

"_Broken leg…Damn! This is a set back…" Was the last thing he heard before drifting into unconsciousness._

(End Flashback)

The next thing Gale knew, he was lying on the floor of the Training Area. He slowly pushed himself into a sitting position, rubbing his forehead and muttering to himself. Then he became aware of another person in the area. He looked up to see Squall standing about fifteen metres away, looking at him with a mixture of curiosity and concern.

"Are you alright?"

Gale made no answer. Instead, he stood up, turned, and started walking away. He was about to leave the area when he heard something. It was a long, low thudding noise that kept repeating itself at regular intervals. And it was getting louder. A short distance away, Squall turned, listening intently.

Without warning, a terrifying roar resounded through the artificial forest. Only one creature in the world could make a sound like that, and it was feared and loathed by many. Squall had had run ins with such creatures in the past, and had killed a few of them, and yet that terrible cry still made him nervous.

A hundred metres ahead of Squall, a massive rust coloured lizard burst through the trees, ripping them out of the ground and sending up plumes of dust as its blunt head quested back and forth, searching for the prey it knew was near. It was a T-Rexaur. And it was hungry.

Squall slowly backed away. This wasn't right; all the T-Rexaurs here had been exterminated. But that didn't matter right now. From the edge of the area, Gale watched. After a few seconds of searching, the giant reptile located Squall.

It charged forwards, leaving massive claw shaped footprints in the dirt as it ran. Calmly, Squall lifted his gunblade and fired five shots into the lizard. However, this only seemed to anger it. It let out another roar, before swinging its tail around, seeking to trip Squall.

This failed as Squall expertly jumped over it, firing another three shots into the T-Rexaurs chest. The reptile took a step backwards before snapping at Squall with its massive jaws.

All this time, Gale watched calmly as the battle raged. He could just walk away and leave them to kill each other. On the other hand…a T-Rexaur…it would be a powerful opponent.

Squall jumped backwards from the T-Rexaur's deadly attack. He had received a nasty cut above his left arm and it was impeding his fighting skills. The tail came round again and he jumped over it once more, at the same time burying his gunblade in the reptile's leg. He T-Rexaur roared in pain, before lifting its leg and slashing Squall across the stomach with its massive claws. Squall was thrown backwards onto the ground where he lay, blood seeping through three long gashes in his clothes.

It was then that Gale made his move. He had been unnoticed by the T-Rexaur up until now, mainly because he hadn't moved up till then. As he walked forwards, the giant lizard turned its attention towards him. The T-Rexaur charged, teeth bared in a wicked smile.

Gale lifted his right hand, conjuring up a ball of liquid ice. When the beast was only a few metres away, he released the spell. The moving sphere slammed into the T-Rexaur, covering its entire left side with ice. Unprepared for this, it tripped over and fell to the ground with an earth shattering crash, sending up a small plume of dirt as it did so.

Gale didn't wait for it to get up. He quickly ran round to the side of the beast, pulling Squall's gunblade out of its leg. Before the wounded reptile could recover, he stabbed the blade down into its neck. Massive amounts of blood spurted out of the creature as it roared in agony. Gale pulled out the blade, raised it above his head, and stabbed down again.

With its windpipe severed, it didn't take long for the T-Rexaur to die. Gale turned his back on the giant corpse and turned towards Squall's limp body. He had received several nasty slash wounds and had lost a lot of blood.

Far away from the scene of the battle, a lone figure stood, silently watching. His blonde hair moved a little as he shook his head in amusement. It had been he who had released the T-Rexaur into the Garden. Now he had seen Gale in action. However, he was still at a loss; he appeared to have no weaknesses.

"If he has no weaknesses in battle, I shall merely have to find some weaknesses out of battle…" He muttered to himself.

Things would get very interesting soon…very soon…


	11. Chapter 11: Reflections

Editors Note: It continues...This chapter is a kind of summary of past events, and should put some pieces of the puzzle together.

* * *

Gale left Squall in the infirmary. Dr. Kadowaki told him that Squall would likely make a full recovery; he's been through much worse. The purple-eyed boy left soon afterwards, passing a distraught Storm on the way out. They didn't look at each other as they passed by.

"Oh my God! Is my daddy okay? Where's my daddy!" He heard her shout out behind him. He stopped for a moment, part of him wanting to leave and part of him wanting to stay. In the end, he left. It wasn't his problem. What did he care if Squall died? But he knew deep down that this was not the case.

He walked briskly towards the elevator. He vaguely noticed people staring at him from behind doorways. Let them stare, he thought. I don't care. I'm just happy that nobody is trying to kill me right now.

**_Then kill them before they can kill you. Kill the SeeDs…_** Replied a voice in his mind.

No, he thought, this time you're not going to win.

**_Why not? They are nothing compared to you. They are afraid of you. Eventually, they will think of you as a threat. And then…_**

Shut up, he thought. He stumbled, nearly tripping over. He felt slightly sick. With a great effort, he shut out the voice in his mind and stumbled into the elevator, hitting the nearest button he could reach, not caring where it took him.

He felt the bottom drop out of his stomach as the elevator plunged downwards. Looking up at the control panel, he saw that he had hit the button marked B1.

Eventually the elevator hissed to a stop. The doors opened and a blast of cool air blew in through them. It was dark outside. Cautiously, Gale approached the doorway, squinting into the darkness beyond. What am I doing, he thought, and stepped boldly out into the gloom.

* * *

"I'm very sorry to see you in such a state, Squall, but I must talk to you." 

Squall looked up from where he was lying in the infirmary. The man standing before him was Headmaster Cid, the man in charge of Balamb Garden. He was very old now, and rumours were spreading around that he was planning to retire soon.

"Headmaster Cid." Squall replied, looking up at the wizened old man who had for so long directed him in his missions.

"Squall, I need to know what happened. What happened in the training area? How did you get those cuts?" Cid asked, frowning slightly, making his face even wrinklier than it was already.

Squall took a deep breath, and then began. "Well sir, I was sparring with my daughter in the training area. It's quiet there and we were unlikely to be disturbed. However, we were disturbed. The winged boy who calls himself Gale came into the area just before our match ended."

"Why was that?" Cid interrupted.

"I don't know," Squall continued, "But he was watching us very closely. Then something strange happened. He put his hands over his head, like he was in pain. Then he fell over and started twitching, like he was having a fit or something. A few seconds later, he got up and walked away like nothing had happened."

"And he didn't ask for help or say anything about it afterwards?" Cid asked, looking troubled. Squall shook his head.

"No, nothing. Then a T-Rexaur broke through into the area and attacked me-"

"That's impossible," Cid interrupted again, "I ordered the extermination of all T-Rexaurs after a group of them went on a rampage and killed several students."

"I swear it was a T-Rexaur, sir." Squall replied. "I tried to kill it, but I failed as you can see. The next thing I know I'm here with Storm crying all over me and repeatedly asking if I'm okay." He finished. Cid looked deeply disturbed by this news. He stood silently for a moment, then spoke.

"Let's go through this step by step. A mysterious object crashes into the hills near Dollet. Shortly after, a party of scouts goes missing. We now know that Gale killed them, but we don't know why. Your daughter was sent to look for the scouts, but found Gale instead, who attempted to kill her.

Storm incapacitated Gale, allowing us to bring him here. Upon questioning him, we discover that he is suffering from acute memory loss, or so he claims. I think it's safe to believe him. The Garden is then attacked by a group of highly trained soldiers who appeared to be trying to get to Gale.

Gale goes berserk and kills about ten of them, surviving a normally lethal wound through the heart. Later on, you are sparring with Storm when a T-Rexaur attacks you. I think we can assume that Gale killed it after you were knocked out." Cid finished, looking down at Squall.

Squall nodded slowly, thinking over what he had just been told. It made sense…or did it?

"Do you think that Gale came to Dollet in that burning object? Could it be a transport pod of some kind, which then malfunctioned and crashed, causing his memory loss?" Squall asked, looking back up at Cid. Cid nodded.

"That is a possibility. Dr. Kadowaki did a scan on Gale when he arrived here and it checks out with his story; an area of his brain appears to have been damaged by a massive trauma, but is still trying to function." Cid replied. Squall frowned slightly.

"Is this where Gale gets his psychotic attacks from? Where he loses control and attacks people?" Squall questioned, thinking deeply.

"Dr. Kadowaki seems to think so." Cid replied, still looking troubled.

"I think we need to get someone to follow Gale and make sure he doesn't cause any trouble. Not that we could stop him if he does…"

"Yes. That would be a good idea. I have a good idea of who to send, but you're not going to like it."

Squall narrowed his eyes. "If you're suggesting…"

"I am, Squall. It will help her get over her fear."

* * *

Gale's eyes were becoming accustomed to the darkness around him. He could make out pipes and metal girders all around him, crisscrossing and winding all around the area he was now in. It appeared to be some sort of maintenance area. It was eerily silent. 

Gale walked away from the elevator, his footsteps echoing off the metal floor, making a dull clanging sound every time he put his foot down. Behind him, the elevator suddenly hissed closed. Gale whirled around, purple eyes widening as he saw his only exit speed up into the ceiling above him.

"Not good…" He whispered to himself, turning away from the empty glass elevator shaft and staring into the gloomy interior of the area he was in. Everything was silent again, except for a slow dripping noise. It reminded Gale of something, but he couldn't think what.

A sudden noise made him spin around once more. A metal clang sounded around the maintenance room. Something else was in the room with him. Gale backed slowly towards the elevator shaft, his left hand reaching for the call button. He felt nervous, almost afraid. Fear of the unknown is mankind's greatest weakness.

Two softly glowing blue lights appeared in the gloom. They blinked slowly, then began advancing towards Gale. Gale lifted his right hand, conjuring up a glowing ball of light. The immediate area was illuminated as a pool of light spread out. The glowing specks immediately disappeared. Behind him, the elevator arrived. Quickly, he stepped back into it, this time making sure that he actually looked at which button he was pressing.

* * *

As the elevator disappeared, the figure in the gloom let out a chuckle. Dr. Blaine had been right. 1500 was gaining human emotions. He was developing weaknesses. Very soon, 1500 would be dead, and Cloud would be the one to make it happen. 


	12. Chapter 12: Grisly Wing

Editors Note: And so, Gale and Cloud finally come face to face...expect a huge fight next chapter, but I think we all know who's going to win (Especially me...)

_

* * *

Pain. Endless pain. Gale didn't know it, but he was screaming. Every inch of him was in agony. It was like being coated in tar and then set on fire. He could barely see through the white mist which was obscuring his vision. This pain was worse than death._

_He was floating in a sphere of greenish blue light, suspended several metres above some sort of projector. Thousands of tendrils of energy were hammering into his body from all sides, breaking through his skin, though leaving no blood. Gale knew that this process was necessary, but did it have to be this painful?_

_Suddenly, the tendrils retracted. The green light faded, and Gale fell forwards onto the cold metal floor, nearly unconscious. He vaguely acknowledged the fact that somebody was helping him up, but he couldn't see who because his eyes were tight shut due to the pain he was feeling._

"_Steady on, Gale. The process took longer than we expected, but you'll be okay in no time." A calming female voice was saying above him. _

"_My back…hurts…" He gasped out, opening his eyes slowly. His eyes stung a little as well, and everything was a little blurry. He lifted his hand to rub them. When his hand came away, it was covered in blood._

"_Don't worry Gale, we expected that to happen. It's okay; it's just a small mutation caused by exposure to Mako. Your eyesight will return in time." Said the female doctor, helping him walk to the nearby door._

"_My back still hurts…aah!" Gale's eyes suddenly went wide. He screamed again, falling to his knees as the pain came back again, only this time it was only in his back. He could feel something moving underneath the skin close to his shoulder blades, muscles twisting and rearranging. Suddenly, there came a wet ripping noise as Gale's back split open in a shower of blood and torn skin._

_Two blood covered wings emerged from beneath his shoulder blades, flapping weakly as they tried to rid themselves of the gore that caked them. However, this proved too much for Gale, and he passed out._

He awoke violently, drenched in sweat, in his room. The sheets of his bed were all over the room. It looked like he had torn half the room apart in his nightmare. He sat up in bed, pushing his damp hair out of his eyes as he looked around. He shivered slightly, the memory of the pain still fresh in his mind.

"What was the point of it all?" He wondered aloud to himself, his wings twitching slightly at his back, flicking off a part of the covers they had become entangled in. If only he could remember…It was as if the solution to the question of who he was was on the other side of a door, and he had a number of keys. The problem was figuring out which key to use.

Gale slowly got up, picking up all the parts of his bed lying scattered all over the room, and began to get dressed. He had just finished pulling on his clothes when there came a knock at his door. He quickly crossed to the door and opened it. A dark haired, blue eyes young woman stared back at him as he opened the door. What is she doing here, Gale thought to himself, watching as Storm quickly looked down at the floor. A long silence stretched between them, then,

"Umm…I wanted to thank you…for saving my dad." She whispered, still looking down at the floor. Gale was surprised. He had not expected gratitude. Another few seconds passed before Gale attempted to break the ice.

"I was just in the right place at the right time. I…I feel I need to apologise. I attacked you for no reason. I still don't know why I did it." He said, now looking down at the floor as well. Storm looked up, surprised.

"You don't need to apologise! It's not your fault!" She said. Gale raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean, not my fault?" He asked, sounding perplexed.

"Didn't they tell you? You have…um…you were hit hard…on the head…and…" She trailed off.

"What are you saying…" He asked, eyes narrowed. Storm looked back down at the floor again.

"Brain damage…" She whispered, not looking at him. Gale stood silently for a moment, then shrugged.

"That would explain the flashbacks…" He murmured, staring into space. Another piece in the puzzle had been revealed. The voices in his mind…the random psychotic behavure…the flashbacks…now it made sense.

"Umm…Gale?" The voice jerked him out of his thoughts. It was the first time she had used his name. He looked down at her. She was slightly shorter than he was, he realised.

"I think we all need to sit down and talk about this. I have lots of things to tell everyone." He said, looking down at Storm seriously.

* * *

"…and that's what happened." Gale finished. The other people in the room looked at him, as if expecting him to go on, but Gale remained silent. They were all crammed into the infirmary, since Squall was still hospitalised.

"So that's what I saw happen to you when you were in the Training Area," Squall said, "You were having a flashback."

"That's right. In that case it was about a fight I had with someone. When I was in the cellblock earlier and I was trying to remember my name, I had one where someone said my name. I think that the situation I am in determines what I remember." He finished. Squall looked thoughtful.

"That dream you said you had. What did the doctor say you had been exposed to?" Asked Cid. Gale thought for a moment, then answered.

"Umm…I think it was Mako radiation." There was a sharp intake of breath from all around the room.

"That's not possible. Mako is too dangerous. Anyone exposed to Mako radiation dies in a matter of hours." Said Rinoa, who up till now had remained silent.

"I'm just telling you what I remember-" Gale began, but he was interrupted by a large booming sound coming from below. The room shook, and the lights flickered. A few seconds passed, silence filling the room. Then something beeped. Cid fumbled in his pocket for a moment, before fishing out a small communications device. He held it close to his mouth and pressed a button.

"Headmaster here…Are you sure?…The elevator shaft?…What happened?…Okay, I'll be right over." He turned the device off before turning to the others.

"There's been an explosion in the elevator shaft. No known cause. I think we had all better see what's going on. Squall, you stay here." Without another word, he turned and walked briskly out of the infirmary, faster than anyone would have expected given his age. Everyone else quickly followed, all except Squall.

The scene was one of carnage. It seemed that the elevator had been going up when the explosion had occurred. The glass safety doors had been utterly destroyed, and the elevator itself was no longer in its shaft. It now lay in one of the many bodies of water encircling the entrance hall, half of it destroyed and the other half in pieces.

"What the hell did this…" Storm whispered as she surveyed the scene. The smell of cordite hung heavily in the air, probably a leftover from the explosive blast. Without warning, a second blast ripped through the shaft, sending a raging torrent of flames up through the gaping hole in its side. Everyone reeled back, stumbling out of the way as a great gout of flames erupted out of the ruined shaft.

But with the flames came something else. The figure of a man leaped out of the destroyed shaft, somersaulting into the air and landing in the middle of the scorched floor. He had spiky blonde hair and strange glowing blue eyes, which he slowly opened as he unsheathed the massive sword he had been holding at his side. Slowly, his head turned, and his blue eyed gaze fell upon Gale.

"Hello, number 1500," He said coldly, "Prepare to meet your worst nightmare."


	13. Chapter 13: The Bitter End

Editors Note: I can already feel the flames coming from rabid FF7 fans...Why, you ask? Read on!

* * *

"Who the hell are you!" Gale demanded, taking a step forwards towards the intruder. The blonde haired man simply smiled.

"That is none of your concern, number 1500, but I will tell you anyway. My name is Cloud. You need to be retrieved." He replied, still smiling coldly. Abruptly, the smile disappeared. "Unfortunately for you, I was not ordered to ensure that you stayed alive during the trip home!"

"So you're basically saying that you're another person who wants me dead. Well, the last few people who thought that way ended up with numerous extra holes blown in them." Gale replied coolly, never taking his eyes off the blonde haired figure. The man smiled. He was going to enjoy this.

"I've seen your battle records. Mighty impressive, I must say. One hundred percent victory rate, with no defeats, though you have come close several times. Just like me…except that I was branded as a failure, without any explanation given to me! But I'll show them…I'll show them that I'm not a failure!" His voice was getting higher, and there was an insane glint in his blue eyes.

"Then why don't you come here and prove it? Or are you scared of dying?" Gale taunted, walking sideways, beginning to circle his opponent. Cloud nodded.

"Fine…but they will not interfere." He raised his hand, casting a glowing magical barrier around the both of them, cutting out any support Gale might receive from the rest of the Garden. Fine, Gale thought. I don't need their help anyway.

"Hmph. Coward. Fighting an unarmed man…" Gale stated, keeping both hands ready in a spell-casting stance. Cloud glared at him.

"I'm not that dishonourable. I want to see how good you really are, anyway. Here, catch!" He tossed a long spear to Gale that had been attached to his leg. It had a long metal shaft, ending in a serrated blade that was thin and flat like a javelin. Gale remembered this spear. It had been the one he had used in the flashback where he broke his leg. He twirled it around a bit, before settling into a defensive pose, waiting for Cloud to make the first move.

Several seconds passed, and nothing happened. Then, without warning, Cloud sprang forwards. Gale jumped aside as Cloud's massive sword smashed into the ground where he had just been. Quickly, Gale spun round, bringing his spear up and slicing at Cloud, who swiftly jumped backwards. They began circling each other again. The tension was unbearable.

Suddenly, Gale was on the attack, diving to the floor and bringing his spear upwards under Cloud's guard. The serrated tip of the spear slashed across Cloud's unprotected stomach, leaving a trail of blood. But Gale did not escape unscathed either. Cloud's massive sword hissed as it moved forwards, leaving a gash across the smaller boy's left arm.

The wound stung. That in itself was unusual; usually he didn't feel much pain. Seeing his grimace, Cloud laughed.

"Hurts, doesn't it? Your autonomous healing magic doesn't work very well against anti-magic solutions, does it? And it just so happens that this sword was drenched in it before the battle…so sad." He said mockingly. Gale narrowed his eyes. He must mean that I'm not immune to his attacks, he thought. This was going to be a difficult battle.

He weighed his options. He was a little faster than his opponent, but in this enclosed space that counted for little. Cloud was physically stronger than he was, so it was unlikely that he would win in a full out duel. But he guessed that he was better at using magic. He quickly took advantage of this.

Using his spear as a guard, Gale began casting a spell. Seeing his opponent apparently off guard, Cloud ran forwards, his sword stabbing out. Gale smiled. Didn't you know, he thought, swords conduct electricity? He released the thunder spell he was holding and threw it towards Cloud. He was blasted backwards, the electricity leaving leaf-like patterns of dead skin over his hands which had received the brunt of the damage.

Cloud had been surprised by his opponent's skill. He would not let that happen again. He had more experience than Gale did.

Cloud's sword was a blur as it slammed into Gale's right shoulder. Gale brought his spear up to defend but it was too late; the sword was already embedded in his shoulder. He fell backwards, gasping at the pain as a river of blood began to pour out of the open wound. He didn't know healing magic, so he couldn't heal himself, and Cloud's sword prevented his body healing itself. It looked like only a matter of time before he lost too much blood and died.

Cloud wrenched his sword out of Gale's shoulder as he fell backwards. How could this pathetic creature ever hope to beat me, he thought. But still, they told me to bring back his remains, so I guess I shouldn't cut him up much more than this…

He moved in for the kill. His opponent was immobile, having dropped his spear when he fell. Smiling coldly, the insane glint back in his eyes, he raised his sword, ready for the kill.

What happened next happened so fast that only Gale could comprehend it. There was a white blur at his left hand side as his left wing shot out, feathers hardening until they were like blades. The right side of Cloud's chest exploded in a shower of blood as Gale's wing tip sliced through. Cloud stood there for a moment, an expression of shock on his face. He stumbled backwards, Gale's wing pulling free as he did so.

"Argh…This isn't possible…" Cloud whispered as the pain began to spread through his body. Summoning up the last of his strength, he lifted up his sword and took one last slash at Gale. It was a desperate attack, and it did not succeed. Gale rolled to one side, easily dodging the blade as it sliced down. Grabbing his spear, he thrust it into Cloud's neck. It went straight through and out the other side, killing the blonde haired assassin instantly.

Immediately, the barrier around them evaporated into thin air. The last thing Gale remembered before he passed into unconsciousness was Storm's voice calling out to him, desperately asking him if he was all right…


	14. Chapter 14: Dark Half

Editors Note: Okay, first off i'd like to say that i'm sorry. I really really really am. But here's the next chapter, it's another short one i'm afraid. If I have the time, i'll try and update the other chapters and make them better.

* * *

_What am I…? Why does everyone want me dead? I don't understand…_

**Of Course not. But I do… I remember what happened.**

_Huh? Who are you?_

**I am the real you. The original Gale.**

_Original…me? I don't understand._

**You are only beginning to understand the power you have. Power unused is power wasted. You must use this power to kill everyone!**

_But why? I don't want to._

**You can't stop yourself. Eventually, your mind will weaken. Then I will take over. And when that happens, everyone dies. The people in Balamb, the people at Origin Station, then everyone else across the whole world.**

_I wont let you. I'll stop you._

**Oh really? What can you ever hope to achieve? This body is mine, but your mind is in control. Those memories, those flashbacks you keep having, they are the memories of when I was in control.**

_So you know what happened?_

**I do.**

…

**You were born to kill, you can't do anything else, no matter how hard you try. Your body was infused with magic and power so that it became invincible to most weaponry. You have a killer instinct. A sixth sense for danger. And soon they'll all be mine again. There's nothing you can do.**

_Yes there is. I don't know what happened to me in the past, but there's no way in hell that I'm letting you take control. I'd sooner die. _

**Big words from such a simple mind. Tell me, what makes you care about humans? They are so weak, so fragile. You are a hundred times more powerful than they are.**

_I have nothing more to say to you._

**Really? We'll see, when I'm in control and you're begging me to stop killing.**

It was at this moment that Gale violently awoke, covered in sweat, in a bed in the infirmary. He slowly ran a shaking hand over his damp forehead as he looked around. It was night time. That meant he'd been out of it for at least three hours. He shivered, not because he was cold but because of his dream. What did it all mean? Was it all just a bad dream, or something more? Gale had to admit that when he was fighting, it seemed as if there was something controlling his actions, making him a bit more brutal than he wanted to be.

Slowly, he considered his options. He could stay here and hope the voice didn't come back. That would be unwise, since he already knew what might happen if he lost control. He could tell the people here, but then they'd just think he was insane and lock him up.

"Probably think I'm insane anyway." He muttered to himself, holding his head in both hands, still thinking. He could run away and make it so that nobody would ever find him. That seemed a more plausible option, since it meant that he wasn't putting anyone in danger. He decided that this was the best option.

Quietly, he slipped out of bed. His clothes were folded neatly next to the bed, and he quickly changed into them. As silently as he could, Gale walked silently out of the infirmary and into the main part of the garden. It was cold out here, but Gale didn't feel it. He made his way down to the entrance and jumped over the barriers, his wings easily propelling him over the obstacle. He cast a quick look backwards over his shoulders at the place for such a brief time he had been able to call home, then disappeared into the night.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Gale, someone else saw him leave as well. From high up in space, an orbiting satellite had picked up Gale's magic signature. It beamed a signal to another satellite, which passed it to another and another, until the signal became untraceable. Eventually it reached a computer monitor in an unknown location. The person watching the monitor spoke.

"So, Cloud failed, just as we predicted. But you fail to realise that your greatest enemy, number 1500, is yourself."


End file.
